The Wayne Public Library of Wayne, NJ is the owner of the Wayne Discussion Blog. The purpose of this blog is to facilitate discussion of selected book titles and other library materials, for entertainment, enlightenment and educational purposes.
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Darkly Dreaming Dexter by Jeff Lindsay
What is the Dark Passenger? Is it a rationalization or real being?
For more information about the author, some reading group guide questions as well more on the 'Dexter' series, click on the following link:
I believe that the Dark Passenger is a very real part or side of Dexter that he has, on the whole, found a way to 'manage'. By Dexter's own naming of the Dark Passenger as a separate part of himself, he is able to maintain the facade of being normal, and attribute the killings to the Dark Passenger, which allows him to continue on the tightrope of his personality.
Ever talk to yourself? Who is it that you're talking to when you do that? I think it's probably your own Passenger - a part of your brain where you're processing your emotional and physiological reactions to things, rather than where you're thinking about them in any rational way. You talk to it, and wait for the visceral - or gut - reaction to your input, and then act accordingly. When you feed your Passenger information, when you talk to it, it usually responds with such innocuous "help" as 'Yeah, the chocolate cake looks better than the peach pie', or 'I think you should wear the green sweater rather than the blue.' Stuff like that.
Frankly, as written, I find Dexter's Dark Passenger the most troubling and least believable aspect of Lindsay's character. It tends to act like a conscience, and, well. If you've ever encountered a psychopath, you realize very quickly that they have no such thing. There should be more of a void inside him, in this reader's opinion. He shouldn't be as likeable as he is. The Dark Passenger makes Dexter just as human as you or me - just a guy talking to himself - and, frankly, I don't think that's the way a serial killer thinks. If you can call that thinking.
2 comments:
I believe that the Dark Passenger is a very real part or side of Dexter that he has, on the whole, found a way to 'manage'. By Dexter's own naming of the Dark Passenger as a separate part of himself, he is able to maintain the facade of being normal, and attribute the killings to the Dark Passenger, which allows him to continue on the tightrope of his personality.
Ever talk to yourself? Who is it that you're talking to when you do that? I think it's probably your own Passenger - a part of your brain where you're processing your emotional and physiological reactions to things, rather than where you're thinking about them in any rational way. You talk to it, and wait for the visceral - or gut - reaction to your input, and then act accordingly. When you feed your Passenger information, when you talk to it, it usually responds with such innocuous "help" as 'Yeah, the chocolate cake looks better than the peach pie', or 'I think you should wear the green sweater rather than the blue.' Stuff like that.
Frankly, as written, I find Dexter's Dark Passenger the most troubling and least believable aspect of Lindsay's character. It tends to act like a conscience, and, well. If you've ever encountered a psychopath, you realize very quickly that they have no such thing. There should be more of a void inside him, in this reader's opinion. He shouldn't be as likeable as he is. The Dark Passenger makes Dexter just as human as you or me - just a guy talking to himself - and, frankly, I don't think that's the way a serial killer thinks. If you can call that thinking.
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